Automatic garage door opening and closing device



June-Z, 1931. I J. s. MARSDE-N 1,808,673 AUTOMATIC GARAGE noon OPENING AND CLOSING DEV-ICE Filed Dec. 21, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l I/fi v ATTORNEY June 2, 1931. I J. 5. MARSDEN AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING DEVICE Filed Dgc. 21. 1929 "s Sheets-Sheet 2 I INQENTOR Joya/642761 Mar ATTORNI Y Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED-- STATES PA ENT 1 orr csji p T JONATHAN s. airman, or. ninennzron, W sconsin AUTOMATIC emenjnoen ornmn e nn cnosme lnnyrcn Application filed December 21, 1929. Serial No. 415,815.

This invention relates to means for open:- ing and closing garage doors by a vehicle: approachin-g and leaving the garage, so that it is unnecessary for the, driver to leave his ve' hi-cle to open the doors when he wishes to place the vehicle in the garage orto close the doors when he is driving the vehicle from the garage;

provide motor; operated means-for opening the doors, weights or the like for eloslng the doors, trip means for closing a switch inthe motorcircuit when acar approaches thegarageso that the doors-will be opened and means whereby the trip means will permit the weights to close the doors when a vehicle is leaving the garage. This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement ofthe several parts, "to.

be hereinafterlfully described, illustrated in,

the accompanying drawings and specifically "pointed out in the appended claims In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in'which t Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View i: through a garage equipped with the invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view. Figure 3 is a view of'thetrain of gearing for operating the drum on which the cables which open the doorsare wound, this'view also showing the clutch means.

Figure etijs a side-view of'Figure 3 Figure 5 is a side view oftfhe trip means. Figure 6 is a front view thereof;

Figure7-is a plan viewthereof,

In these drawings, the letter A indicates a garage and the letter B indicates thedoors thereof. These doors are normally held closed by the weights 1 eonnectedwith' the guiding pulleys. Abase' is fastened to one of the interior wallsof the garage and carries a frame 4 in which is journaled-the shafts 5, 6 and 7 These shafts are connected together'b'y the train of gears 8 and a pulley The general object of the invention is to Cables 20 are fastened to the drum; pass over suitable guiding pulleys 21 to the bell cranks 22 located adjacent thefront of the i that 'thecircuit of the motor is broken when garage'and formbeari'ngs for a shaft27 on which are rotatably arranged the drums 28 doors by thecables '2 which pass over suitable v guiding pulleys 35 and" is {connected to the 9 is connected with the shaft- 5 over which 3 passes a belt 10 which alse passes over aap-ulley ll fastened to the shaft of a motor 12 supported on the base. The circuit'ofthe motor is controlled by a switch 13. Thus when the 5.

"switch is closed, the motor will rotate the shaft 7 at a reduced speedthrough the re'-' ducing gears 8; l V 'A drum l l is rotatabl'y arranged on the shaft? and has a clutch part 15 engaging a stationary'clutch part 16 on the shaft, these clutchparts being normally held in enga'gemerit-by a'spring 17011 the shaft which tends to force the drum and its clutch part toward the cluteh'part 16. A clutch fork 18 pivoted V to apartofthe frame and engaging a groove 19 associated with the drum, acts to move the clutch parts into and out-of engagement.

garageat'the' topthereof, the long -ar1n of each bell crank having rollers 23 at its'free switch, this cable actingto move the switch to open'position when thedoors-are opened thedoorsare opened. v I V Brackets 26 are arranged in front of the and 29 and the collar 30 which is located be o tween the drums and towhich a trip arm 31 is connected; Angle shaped arms 32 are connected with the drums 28 and one of these arms extends'in front-of the trip arm {SI-and the other in rearthereof. A cable 33 is connectcd with the bottom part of the drum 28' and a cable 34 isconnected with the top "part of the drum 29; a The cable 33 passes over the switch andactsto close the switch when a car \M/ approaching the garage strikes the lever 31, which causes said lever to move the arm 32 of the drum 28 and thus partly winds the cable 33 on the drum. The cable 34 passes overguiding pulleys 36 and is attached to the clutch fork so that when a car leaving the garage strikes'the lever 31, said lever will move the drum 29 through its arm 32 and partly wind the cable 34: on the drum and thus cause the cable 34 to move the clutch lever to releasing position so that the weights can close the doors, A cable 37 is connected with the clutch'fo'rk and will, when pulled upon, cause the fork to move the clutch parts into engagement, this cable passing over the guiding pulleys 38, the front one of which is placed'adjacent the point of connection of the cable with the front wall of the garage, this connecting point being shown 'at 39. A projection140 on one of the doors will engage that part of the cable-between the front pulley 38' and the connecting-point 39and thusexert a pull upon the cable to cause it to move the clutch parts to operative -'position.-

From theforegoing it will be seen that the doors are normally held closed by the weights 7 andwhen the doors areso closed, the" cable p 37 ,is engaged by the projection 40 and thus a this cable will move the clutch fork to a posi- 9 tion where the clutch parts are inoperative ypositio'n. Then when a vehicle "approaches the frontof the garage, it will strike the trip lever 31, moving the same forwardly, so that this lever, engaging the arm32 of'thedrum 28, will exert a pull upon thecable 33 so that the switch of themotor will be closed by said cable and as the clutch parts are in operative position, the motor will rotate the'drum and wind the cables 20" thereon so that these cables 'will cause the bell cranks 22 to swing the doors to open position.- When thedoors are opened, the cable 25 will raise the switch- .to open position so that the-motor ceases to operate, but the drum, being connected with the gearing, cannotrotate, so, that the doors remain open. The movement of the switch by the cable 25 will exert a pull on the cable Phen whenthe vehicle is run out of "the garage, it will strike the trip leverSl so that said lever will rotatethe drum 29 and partly wind the cable 34 thereon-and this cable will move the clutch parts to releasing position so that the weights can close thedoors and operative position.

as the doors close, the cable 37' will return the clutch parts to operative position-so that the parts are set ready to be operated by a car approaching the doors to open the doors.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims. i i

. WhatIcl'aim is .1. In combination with a garage and a door, means" for normallyholding the .door

in closed position, motor driven means for opening the door, including a drum and clutch means therefor and a switch in the motor circuit, means operated by. a vehicle approaching the door for closing theswitch' tocause the motor to open the door, means for opening the switch when the door reaches open position, manually operated means {for releasing the clutch meanstopermit the door to close and .means operated by a vehicle leaving the garage, including the means operated by a vehicle approaching the garage and the manuallyop'erated means for moving the clutch to inoperative position whereby thedoors will close after the vehicle passes from the garage and means operated the closing of the door for returning the clutch to operative position.

L ,2. In combination with a garage and its door, a trip memberlin front ofthe'door and. -operated by a vehicle entering and, leaving the garage, meansfor normally holding the door in closedposition, a drum, a motor for driving the same, a switch in the motor circuit, clutch means associated with the drum,?- a cable connected with the drum and with "means associated with the'door whereby the V winding of the c'ableonithedrum will open the door, means operated by. a vehicle approaching the garage striking the trip for;-

closing the switch whereby the door will be opened, means for opening-the switch on the opening movement of the door, means oper- ;;ated-by the trip when the same is operated by avehicle leaving the garage for moving" the clutch to releasingposition so that the door cancloseand means operated-by the .closing of a door for moving-the clutch to 3. In combination with garageand its doors, a trip infront of the doors, means for normally holding the doors in closed position, a pair of bell cranks supported in the garage and-each having one arm adapted to open and close a door, a drum, cables therev on connected with the. bell cranks, a motor,

reducing, gears connecting the same with the drum, aclutch for, connecting thev drum to its shaft and. disconnecting it therefrom, ,a

switchin the, motor circuit, meansoperated by the'trip when the same is moved by a vehicle approaching the garage to close the I switch whereby themotorwill operate the drum to open the doors, means for opening the switch when the doors reach open position, means operated by the trip when the same is moved by a vehicle leaving the garage for moving the clutch 'to releasing position whereby the doors will close and means operated'by the closing of the doors for moving the clutch to operative position.

4. In combination with a garage and its doors, means for normally holding the doors in closed position, a track on each door, a bell crank pivoted in the garage and having arranged between the drums and carrying a lever, said drums having arms thereon, one extending in front of the lever and the other in rear of the lever, oppositely wound cables on the drums, one cable being connected with whereby when a vehicle approaches the garage, the trip will be operated to close the the switch and the other with the a clutch switch and when a vehicle leaves the garage, the trip will be operated tov release the clutch, a cable connecting one of the ':'bell cranks with the switchwherebyopening ofthedoor will open the switch, another cable connected with the clutch and a projection on a door' engaging a part of said cable when the door is closed to cause said cable to move the clutch to operative position.

In testimony whereof I aifix my s1 nature.

JONATHAN S. MARS EN, 

